1. Favourite local campaign that isn’t yours
The new Air New Zealand Xmas Campaign – Anyone up for a game of Bisketball? Well played Air New Zealand.
2. Favourite campaign that is yours
Married At First Sight NZ. Hollie Smith singing The Proclaimers will most likely never happen again. The song has lasted longer than most of those relationships, except Brett and Angel, we love Brett and Angel!
3. Favourite international campaign
Nike’s campaign for female Arab athletes. Can’t understand a word, but understand everything.
4. Least favourite campaign
Although it’s from 2014, the National Party’s ‘Eminem-esque’ campaign is the least effective, most expensive individual campaign in the history of New Zealand politics and, we’re still talking about it…and they are still paying for it.
5. Your own biggest success
tHR=E. Like any good re-brand it started a conversation, one creative went on record saying: “He thought the new Three logo was not a bad piece of design – but it wasn’t the right look for the TV station’s brand, and ran the risk of alienating some segments of the channel’s viewership.” Well, he was wrong. In fact, it did quite the opposite, more people came along and made us the number two Network 5+ for the first time since 2008.
6. Most significant launch/innovation/thing of the year
As above.
7. What should be un-invented?
‘Pivoting’ – it’s what you do when you don’t have a good enough plan. It’s actually not that good for your back either.
8. Lamest trend
The man-bun. I know this is about the ad space, but it’s a relevant answer gents. It was a thing a few years back, but going into 2018, there is no longer any excuse.
9. Best brands
Airbnb has really become mainstream this year. Hotels, your overpriced accommodation model needs to offer more than a turndown service and fresh towels.
10. Best stoush
The fight might have been Parker vs Fury – but Higgins vs Fury’s old man press conference stoush had everything, including getting people to realise the fight was actually happening. A Higgins TKO victory. Who won the main bout again?
11. Heroes
Jacinda. Like most superheroes, she goes by one name.
12. Villains
Too many and too upsetting on most counts. As an aside, I still really hate Hootie and The Blowfish, so let’s add them in there as well.
13. What died in 2017?
StuffMe, VodaSKY and most upsettingly radio legend Tim Homer. RIP Rug-a-lot-of-love.
14. What’s the biggest mistake marketers will make in 2018?
Let’s come back round in 12 months and answer that one shall we?
15. What’s the most Black Mirror/ sci-fi horror thing likely to happen in the near future?
Oumuamua, the ‘cigar-shaped UFO’ that every media outlet is writing about finally unequivocally proving that indeed there is life out there amongst us…. will just be another space rock…… or is it?
